


The Core of Him

by nightwalker



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode Tag, Gen, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Season/Series 02, Shiro is protective, Team Bonding, Team Feels, Team Voltron Family, Team as Family, the paladins are equally so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 15:25:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9447449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightwalker/pseuds/nightwalker
Summary: Shiro wasn't afraid of doing what the Olkari king had done – he knew he'd choke on the words if he even tried.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MusicalLuna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalLuna/gifts).



> Takes place at the end of Season 2, Episode 4: Greening the Cube and contains spoilers for that episode. Some angst and some team bonding with no redeeming value whatsoever.
> 
> Please note that this fic does mention suicide as a consequence of being captured by the enemy. No one is in any danger and the reference is entirely hypothetical, but please use your discretion.

“And you. The spirit of the Olkari resides in you. The bond between you and your lion has grown stronger than ever.” Ryner's voice was soft, steady and Shiro could barely hear her over the cheering of her people all around them. 

Pidge didn't seem to have any problem though, beaming up at her. “Wthout you, I never would have been able to unlock my lion's hidden power.”

Ryner smiled back. “The stories of Voltron have long been told amongst our people and the Green Lion has always held a special place in our hearts. To have fought alongside it, and you, was an honor.”

“It was our honor as well,” Shiro said. “If there's ever anything we can do, don't hesitate.”

There was a flurry of movement from behind them and Keith spun around, drawing his bayard with a flare of red energy, only to drop it an instant later with a sound of disgust.

It was Lubos, bound hands clutched against his chest as he hurried toward them. There were two flustered looking Olkari sprinting after him – young ones, if Shiro was any kind of judge, who let their attention wander when they should have been guarding the prisoner.

“Paladin,” Lubos called and he held his hands out in entreaty. He kept a distance between himself and Ryner, who was staring at her former king with an expression Shiro couldn't quite identify. That put him in painfully close proximity to Lance and Hunk, both of whom looked more than ready to tackle him to the ground. “Paladin, I beg you. Do not leave me here.”

Shiro wasn't sure which paladin Lubos thought he was begging for his life, but he wasn't sure it mattered. “This is your world, King Lubos. Why wouldn't we leave you here?”

“I am asking for sanctuary,” Lubos said quickly. “My people, my poor people who suffered so much, they do not understand the burden of leadership in wartime. They don't understand what I tried to do for them. I will never receive fair treatment!”

“Fair,” Shiro said slowly. He could barely bring himself to look at the former king. He remembered the Olkari who had been literally bound in servitude, waiting hand and foot on his king while Lubos entertained himself. He remembered the sounds of hundreds of Olkari chanting their king's name, praying for his safe return. He remembered the brittle, broken sound of betrayal in Ryner's voice when they set her former king on his knees before her. “You want fair treatment, Lubos?” His voice was rough and he could feel it grate against his throat when he spoke, suddenly, intensely furious.

Lance's gaze flickered between Shiro and the prisoner. “Uh, Shiro?”

“These were your people,” Shiro said. Yelled, maybe. But if a raised voice was the worst he did to this traitor than it was far less than he deserved. He pointed at the crowd, splayed his hand to encompass all of them. “You were their _leader_. They were yours to protect, yours to serve. And you sold them out for a free meal and a comfortable prison cell. You became the worst kind of traitor for _what_?” He took a sharp step toward the prisoner and let himself feel a hot surge of pleasure when Lubos flinched away from him. “They fought and bled and died for you. They served their worst enemy to protect you. And what did you give them in return? Betrayal. They were _yours_.” He caught himself before he could raise his right arm, stopped himself before it flared with purple light. “And you're asking me for fair treatment? If they put your head on a block I wouldn't speak in your defense, Lubos. It's the least of what you owe them.”

“Shiro,” Keith said, quietly enough that no one outside their circle could hear. 

Shiro shook his head, throat tight with disgust, hands shaking with something that wasn't quite fury. “Forgive me, Ryner. That was... rude of me. To speak so harshly to your prisoner.”

Ryner gestured impatiently and the two young guards came running up to collect Lubos, who went without protest this time. “You spoke from your heart, Black Paladin. In truth, you said many things I have thought myself. He will receive the fairest and most just punishment we can devise. It will be... an unusual precedent,” she added, and her voice dropped. Her eyes were sad as she watched her former king be led away. “This is a betrayal greater than any we have ever known.” She sighed. “And, he truly was a good king, once. Or he played the role well enough that good was done in his name. There will be mercy to be had along with justice.”

Shiro looked over his shoulder at the other paladins. “You're both wise and just,” he said. “And far more merciful than I think I'd have been in your place.”

Ryner followed his gaze and her smile was knowing. 

****

“I really thought Shiro was just gonna-” Lance made a chopping motion with his hand, “-whoosh. Off with his head!”

“Don't be stupid,” Keith said.

Shiro settled a hand on Lance's shoulder before the boy could get in Keith's face for the insult. “It was a tempting thought,” he admitted.

“For that whiny little worm?” Keith asked, a little appalled. “Shiro. Come on.”

“That whiny little worm hurt a lot of people,” Shiro said. “He sold his people into slavery and when they tried to resist he helped the Galra manipulate them. Sorry, Keith. If he had put up a little more of a fight I would have really enjoyed taking a swing at him.”

They'd gathered in a circle on the bridge, waiting for Allura and Coran. Olkarion was huge on the screen behind them. Pidge was staring at it a little wistfully as it slowly grew smaller in the distance. 

“He doesn't seem worth the trouble,” Lance said. He'd given up glaring at Keith already, which boded well for Shiro's nerves – he loved them both, he did, but sometimes he wanted to shoot them out an airlock himself. “Someone like that is better forgotten, you know? He liked abusing his power so much? Just take it away from him, throw him in a dark cell somewhere and forget he ever existed.”

“That's surprisingly apropos,” Pidge said. “Very mature, Lance. I'm almost impressed.”

Lance shot her a surprised grin, and Shiro pretended he didn't see Lance glancing at him out of the corner of his eye to see if his leader also approved. It made his chest ache a little to see it. The same ache of pride and fear he felt every time one of his team turned to him, trusted him to give them what they needed, to see them through something.

For a moment he flashed back to Lubos' cell and the tall, gangly Olkari slave was replaced with Lance, his hands bound and face bruised and Shiro wanted to break something with his bare hands.

He squeezed Lance's shoulder, watched the boy's mouth turn up in a smile before he crossed his arms over his chest. “Team. I need you to promise me that if Zarkon ever tries something like that with us, you won't give in to his demands.”

“I cannot believe I owe Pidge ten bucks,” Lance said.

“I- what?” Shiro looked down at him, then over at Pidge, who was smirking at him, at Keith who was rolling his eyes so hard they were in danger of rolling out the back of his head, and Hunk who just shook his head with an expression of endless patience. 

“Pidge bet us ten bucks you'd go all _“angsty team leader”_ about this.” Lance made the air quotes as sarcastically as possibly, and the Blue Paladin was extremely versed in sarcasm. “Seriously, Shiro?”

“The rest of us knew better than to take her up on it,” Keith said.

Lance scowled. “How was I supposed to know Shiro was that dumb?”

“Excuse me?” Shiro asked. He put a warning note in his voice, his 'this is not the time for shenanigans' tone of voice that was mostly saved for Lance (Keith and Hunk were usually easy to bring into line without the voice, and it never worked on Pidge).

Lance shrugged. “Sorry, Shiro, but it's true.”

“You're not Lubos. And we're not the Olkari.” Keith's voice was calm. He was watching Shiro with a steady, knowing look. 

“Our lives are dangerous,” Shiro said. “We could be captured during any mission. I think it's a fair precaution to discuss this.”

“You'd never do what Lubos did,” Keith said. “You'd literally die first.”

Shiro took a deep, slow breath so none of them would see the way that hit right to the core of him. “I'm glad you know that. But just because I wouldn't cooperate with Zarkon doesn't mean he wouldn't use the same threat against you that the Galra tried to use against the Olkari. If I ever get captured-”

“If you get captured again, we're coming after you,” Lance said. “Just like we know you would do if one of us got captured.”

“I would absolutely come for you,” Shiro said. It came out lower and more solemn than he intended and all four of them paused for a moment. “Now promise me.”

Keith sighed. “Fine. If Zarkon captures you and threatens to hurt you in exchange for our cooperation, we promise to tell him to go fuck himself until we can blow him straight to hell and get you back. Deal?”

He said it so ungraciously that Shiro couldn't help but smile. “Deal.”

It would live in his bones for a few days, he could tell. The memory of king's betrayal would linger for a while. He knew entirely too well what the Galra did to their prisoners of war, he could picture what the Olkari were forced to do, the conditions they were forced to endure. 

He knew exactly what the Galra would do to his team, if they were taken alive. Had seen it in his nightmares a dozen times. Pidge and Hunk were too smart to be wasted, they'd be sent to the interrogators to be tortured for information until they'd been broken, then sent to the work camps. Keith and Lance would be for the mines, or worse, to the gladiator arena, forced to kill their fellow prisoners or die themselves, until the day one of them proved strong enough, useful enough, and then they'd be sent to the Druids.

It would never happen. Shiro wouldn't allow it. 

They were his. His to protect and train and defend. His to fight alongside, his to fight for.

He wasn't afraid of doing what the Olkari king had done – he knew he'd choke on the words if he even tried. He'd make the Galra kill him before he let himself be used against his team, would kill himself before he willingly betrayed them.

He failed his team once, lost them. Not through betrayal, but that was small comfort when he remembered Matt's panicked eyes turned to him for guidance, or when he remembered Sam's bowed shoulders and hollow eyes as they separated him from his son. 

His gaze settled over the others – Lance and Keith were standing shoulder to shoulder as they mocked Shiro in ridiculous voices. Lance had his finger crooked over his nose in an imitation of his scar - a detail which made Shiro's mouth twitch in a reluctant smile. Hunk was critiquing Keith's performance, making him repeat the word “training” over and over until he got the proper inflection. And Pidge was ignoring them, arms crossed over her console as she watched Olkarion get smaller and smaller on the screen.

The bridge door opened and Allura and Coran join them just as Keith apparently pronounced “training” to Hunk's satisfaction. Lance was reciting one of Shiro's training lessons from the Garrison almost word for word. Pidge's shoulders were shaking from trying not to laugh and the Alteans just looked terribly confused.

He didn't know how Lubos could have sacrificed this kind of trust. Couldn't imagine living with himself if anything ever happened to any of them, let alone at his hand. There were six people in the universe Shiro would fight and die and kill for no matter the consequences. They were his.

And they knew it. Just like he knew he was theirs.


End file.
